Bobi Wine fears his car to get impounded
Last month singer cum opposition honcho, Hon. Kyagulanyi Robert Ssemtamu aka Bobi Wine stunned every one after revealing that he had acquired a brand new armored car.
“There is another group of comrades who kick-started a fundraising campaign for a bullet proof vehicle. These comrades informed me of their plan, but I thought it was an uphill task, given how expensive it is. A few weeks ago, these comrades surprised me when they informed me that they had succeeded in raising enough money for the vehicle, and here it is. I can’t THANK YOU enough”, he said.
When the former presidential candidate made this announcement on his official Facebook page, he sent his fans and NUP supporters countrywide into total frenzy. Hundreds of them rushed to his party offices in Kamwokya just to have a glance at the monster black bullet proof ride. They washed the ride for over 7 hours without even asking for a single penny from Bobi. No one could even stop them from taking pics of it!
However, as the fans were still buzzing and heaping praises on Bobi, Uganda Revenue Authority and security agencies steped in and started investing the circumstances under which the car was shipped in, procured and cleared. Their findings revealed that the car was under-valued while being cleared by URA since the owner didn’t avail its full details.
URA immediately sent its law enforcers to ‘Magere Ghetto White House’ to fetch the Toyota V8 Land Cruiser for re-assessment and guess what? NUP darling blatantly refused to hand it over! He instead informed them through his lawyers that the law doesn’t permit the Revenue Body to re-evaluate goods after being cleared. He further told them to go to court if they feel cheated.
“Much as it is true that you have the powers under section 236 (d) of the EAC customs Management Act to examine goods, you do not have automatic powers to re-examine goods which were in your custody (ware house), were examined, assessed to tax, the taxes fully paid and the goods released the owner/taxpayer”
“This is to therefore demand that you immediately withdraw your decision to recall our client’s motor vehicle as long as such decision is arbitrary and unsupported by any law”, Bobi’s trusted lawyers asserted.
But URA through Geoffrey Balamaga, a manager in URA’s customs department didn’t back down as he informed him that he needed ‘special permission’ to import the Armored car.
“Armored vehicles are restricted items under the Customs law and the law regulating the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and requires special permission to import or own and thus it would only be proper if the applicant(Kyagulanyi) cooperates with the respondent(URA) to clarify on and clear the matter as the law requires,” Balamaga said.
Balamaga further noted that unless examined for the second time, the queries raised on the vehicle would remain pending and yet substantial in nature.
Following his submission, it was all clear that URA wanted to re-assess the car without fail. Ever since then, Bobi Wine decided not to hit the road cruising the said car. Lately the Kyarenga hit star drives his Black Cadillac Escalade or a white Toyota Land Cruiser so often.
Even on 10th March when he stepped into Parliament for the first time after losing the Presidential elections ti incumbent Sevo, he drove his Escalade.
Sources within his circle reveal that the NUP strongman fears losing his much treasured machine to URA just like he did when his TUNDRA was impounded in 2018.
“Yes URA might need to shame Bobi in broad day light and impound the car while driving it on the road. As you know how they work, those guys might take it and after sometime auction it. So the solution for now is to leave it parked home in a safe place”, a source intimated to us.
Well, Bobi is right to quake because URA’s men have a habit of lurking by the road side just to impound cars which are in the Tax Body’s bad books. Y’all remember how they shamed music legend Jose Chameleone over the same related issue, right?
Bobi Wine URA
Enock Mugabi aka iWitness is a Journalist, Seasoned Writer and Music Analyst with a passion for sports.
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